Shipping crate



AAug. 26,1941. c. H.l RuMlL-LAT 2,253,726

.l SHIPPING CRATE `Filed Dec. 20, 1939 -if 23 F 'X4 @o I I .--f

Patented Aue'. 26, 1941 narran STATES PATENT ortica SHIPPING CRATE Carl H. Roumillat, Tavares, Fla..

Application December 20, 1939, Serial No. 310,237

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping crates, and more particularly to the type for containing fruits, vegetables or the like, and the invention is of special importance in connection with the shipment of citrons fruits, such as oranges or the like.

Some shipping crates for this particular purpose now in common use each has a transversely disposed partition at its longitudinal center, which partitions add greatly to the cost of the container or crate and increases the Weight thereof so that the freight costs are increased, and the said partitions also reduce the capacity of the crates, conditions which are obviated by the invention, and hence a crate smaller than the ordinary shipping crates having the partitions may have the same capacity as those which now have the central partitions.

An object of this invention is to provide a shipping crate which may be used without subjecting the fruit or' shipment to pressure which is ordinarily done under existing practices, for it is a fact that the exertion of pressure sucient to force the fruit to a level Where the top can be attached bruises the fruit and sometimes breaks the skins of the fruit, Whereas by the invention the top is sprung into place in a convex form or contour and the fruit is confined without the application of injurious pressure.

It is an object of this invention furthermore to provide means for stabilizing or producing rigidity of the structure equal to that attained by the employment of the partition to which reference has been made; and it is furthermore an object to provide novel means by which the top of the crate may be sprung into place and there held without the employment of nails or other fastenings Where the ends of the top are anchored to the ends of the crate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for retaining the top in place which can be readily detached for releasing the top in order that the contents of the crate may be inspected.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a View in side elevation of a crate embodying the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal sectional View;

Figure 3 illustrates an end elevation;

Figure 4 illustrates a fragmentary perspective, substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Figure '5 illustrates a detail in plan 'of the cover and its relation'to the end frame ofthe crate. v

In"v this drawing the ends of the crate are shown as eachv comprising a frame, in which posts 5 and 6 are provided at each edge of the crate, connected at their lower ends by a strip 1 and'at their upper ends by a bar 8. In the construction shown, the posts and barv 8 have a tongue and groove joint as at 8a, although this joint may be variously modified to suit particular requirements. The end frame formed by the posts and strips I is enclosed by a panel forming the end 9v of the crate, which is of material usually employed in the production of crates of this character. There is a space between each bar 8 andj the upper edge of the end kS of the crate into which the ends of the top or cover are seated for closing the crate.

The crate is also provided with suitable side slats I'0 attached to the end posts in any suitable manner and preferably the joint between the side slats and the posts is reinforced by strengthening strips or cleats II which are secured With the side slats to the posts by suitable fastenings I2, such as nails or the like. The bottom I3 of the crate has its ends secured to the strip 1 of each end frame through the employment of a reinforcing strip or cleat I4 which is secured with the bottom I3 to the strip 'I by fastenings such as nails or the like.

Approximately centrally of the length of the slats I0 and externally thereof, cleats or posts I5 are attached to them and said posts extend above the upper edge of the upper side slats. A nailing strip or cross bar I6 is secured between the upper ends of the said cleats or posts I5 and above the upper side slat I il. The bar I6 is preferably rounded on its lower edge to facilitate the packing of the fruit thereunder and to prevent abrasion or injury to said fruit. The bottom I3, whichl is preferably a solid board, although it may comprise a series of strips or slats, is reinforced by a transversely disposed cleat Il and secured thereto by fastenings such as nails, and the said cleat I'I has its ends terminating approximately at the outer edges of bottom of the crate.

The top or closure I9 for the crate may comprise a plurality of strips, or it may be a solid board, of such flexibility as to permit its being bowed or bent in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. It is shown as being supported by the nailing bar I6 with its ends projecting into the spaces under the bars 8. Transversely disposed cleats 20 are attached to the upper surface of the closure and these serve to limit the longitudinal movement of the closure on account ofthe fact that they will come in contact with the respective bars 8 if moved unduly. The closure or top is somewhat wider than the distance between the outer edges of the posts 5, and the corner edges of the closure are beveled as at 2l so that these beveled edges will contact the posts to limit the movement of the closure if the cleats 20" are not provided. This relation of parts. is illustrated', in Fig. and the beveled edges of the closure arev shown in the end view, Fig. 4.

As a means for strengthening the structure and making it rigid, a` girdle or tensioning strip 22 is applied tothe external surface of parts of the crate and is secured to such parts by fastenings such as nailsror theflike. The binding or tensioning stripinK the-present illustration lies on the outer surface oftheV cleats I5, |`1 and the nailing bar I6 andl when it is attached by the said fastenings to these' parts, it forms a band which holds the parts against expansion which mayv occur ordinarily, due to the weight of the contents' of theV crate or the limited desirable pressure'in packing. the' fruit although; as stated, it is undesirable toL utilize presses for forcing fruit into av packedstate due, toinjury that may occur to it..

After the closure or top is in place as shown inrFig. 2,.a detachable retaining strip. 23.has one end 24 bent: downwardly over. the binding or tensioning strip' 22' andi secured by fastenings 25 suchv as nails or' the like. The said` retaining strip extends acrossthe'closure and has its 0pposite' end bent down and secured to the opposite cleat I5 in like manner. The means for fastening the said endvmay be bynailsorother known clamps or the like, but an object is to permit the detachment of this fastening at one end so that it may be caused to release the closure in order that it may be removed for the purpose of inspection of the contents of the crate and that means may be afforded to re-attach the end so that it will serve to retain the closure in place as before.

It is shown that the bars 8 have camming surfaces 26. which may be curved as shown or beveled to cause the ends of the cover to ride over these surfaces when forced downwardly, the said cover being sprung into place when the ends have descended under the said bars.

I claim:

1. In a shipping crate, end frames having panels forming the ends of the crate, bars included asparts of the end frames located above the edges of the panels, said bars having camming surfaces at their upper inner edges, suitable botn tom and side members of the crate attached to said frames, cleats attached to the sides of the crate externally thereof and extending abovey the upper edges ofA the said side members, a nailing strip4 attached between the said cleats above the sides, and a flexible cover supported by the nailing strip and. having its ends projecting under the bars of the end frames whereby the cover is held in place.

2. Ina shipping crate, end frames having panels forming the ends of the crate, bars included as parts of the end frames locatedabove the edges of the panels, said bars having camming surfaces at their upper inner edges, suitable bottom and side members of the crate attached to said frames, cleats' attached to the sides of the crate externally thereof and extending; above the upper edges of the said side members, a nailing strip attachedv between. the saidfcleats above the sides, andi ai flexible cover supported by the nailing strip,v the said cover being of a length to engage the camming surfaces of the` bar and rideable on the surface when forced downwardly toV a position=under the said bar.

CARL H. ROUMILLAT. 

